[porky]

first a little info, my 2wd 99 F150 has 145,000 miles, the 4.6, 4r70w tranny, 3.55 gears, and i've been running 33s for a year now (finally ordered new gears yesterday). now, on to the problem:

i first noticed problem a month or two when my truck would squeak a little when driving really slow. figured it was just mud on a seal or something, didn't worry about it. now it's back, but louder and more often. if i step on the gas while driving it'll kind of squeal or whirr, i guess, kind of hard to explain. also, if i downshift with the shifter it'll squeal or chirp. other than the noises, it shifts through the gears fine. however, if i accelerate from a standstill and let off the gas and then punch it again it will kind of hesitate, like there''s a little slack or something (u-joints are fine though).

my guess is the torque converter is going bad, but i'm not sure. preferrably, i'd like to do the work myself, so any parts and retailers suggestions would be great. labor costs at shops are ridiculous, and i have a lift and everything at our shop, and besides, i want to learn how trannys actually work. I want to replace any worn-out parts with upgraded, heavier duty stuff, as i plan on keeping this truck a while, and want it to handle whatever i throw at it without having to worry about tearing it apart again.

any help would be greatly appreciated